The present invention relates to improvements in toasters, particularly those toasters with one or more upwardly open slots to receive a product such as a slice of bread, a crumpet, a muffin or the like to be toasted. The invention is particularly aimed at toasters of the aforementioned kind having a single slot.
Although not very common, fires can occur when toasters are utilized. The causes of such fires include (1) a build-up of crumb material in the toaster base; and (2) a food product being toasted for a period of time that exceeds the normal level for that product due to operator misuse or a malfunction in the toaster itself.
The principal objective of the present invention is to provide a toaster which will prevent the effects of an escape of fire from a toaster in the unfortunate event of the occurrence of a fire. Toasters are generally required to be produced from materials that will not burn. Thus, even the plastic materials commonly used for many toaster bodies are made from resins which will not ignite. Thus, the effects of a toaster fire result from the flame escaping through the access opening to the toasting chamber.